• The federal Department of Social Services established a national hotline set up to handle complaints about the transition to Consumer Directed Care (CDC) it has taken only 115 calls and resolved 51 cases from the estimated 66,000 people moved onto CDC packages on July 1.

• A public campaign to encourage potential paedophiles to seek help such as the UK’s Stop Sexual Offending site, before committing a criminal offence should be considered, along with more early treatment options, to protect children from sexual abuse, mental health experts say.

• The global standard recommended by the World Health Organisation is 80 per cent and above, and in 2009, Papua New Guinea (PNG) only immunised just over half of its children under the age of one.

Health news on Health Professional Radio. Today is the 11 Aug 2015. Read by Rebecca Foster.

A national hotline set up to handle complaints about the transition to Consumer Directed Care (CDC) has taken only 115 calls and resolved 51 cases from the estimated 66,000 people moved onto CDC packages on July 1.

The federal Department of Social Services established the CDC hotline after reports of widespread confusion in the lead-up to the program.
Under CDC packages, the recipient has more choice about how their care is delivered.

Consumers are told how much their package is worth and can negotiate with their care provider about what kind of care they receive.

But an estimated 10,000 in-home care recipients have been told by their care providers that their new packages will not have enough funds to pay for the services they now receive.

Some of those currently switching over to CDC packages are not surprised by the lack of outreach to the CDC Hotline.

Ms Hickson is among those caught off guard by what’s called the basic daily fee, which is paid to the care provider.
It was introduced in 2013 and is supposed to be discretionary.

“Separate to Consumer Directed Care, older Australians who take up a home care package may be asked to contribute towards the cost of their care,” the minister responsible for aged care, Senator Mitch Fifield, said in a statement.

“Everyone can be asked to pay a basic daily fee of up to 17.5 per cent of the single age pension, which is currently $9.77 a day.”

Questions over the basic daily fee are just one area of CDC confusion, according to staff at The Senior newspaper.
With its monthly print run of 450,000 copies, it remains one of the best ways to reach Australians who still prefer an old-fashioned paper.

A public campaign to encourage potential paedophiles to seek help before they offend should be considered, along with more early treatment options, to protect children from sexual abuse, mental health experts say.

Adelaide paedophile Shannon McCoole, 33, has been sentenced to 35 years in jail with a non-parole period of 28 years for sexually abusing seven children aged as young as 18 months old.

McCoole told the District Court he thought he could control his paedophilic urges and a fear of “being rejected and alone” stopped him from seeking help.

Forensic psychiatrist Dr Paul Furst said the number of child sex abuse cases was growing and early treatment programs could help to stop paedophiles from acting on their sexual urges.

Dr Furst, who is the deputy chair of the South Australian branch of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, said the number of child pornography and sexual abuse cases was growing partly because of greater public awareness of the issue and more effective policing.

Forensic psychologist Luke Broomhall said at the moment, it was rare for paedophiles to seek help before committing a criminal offence.

Mr Broomhall said while Owenia House at Modbury in Adelaide’s north-west already offered treatment programs for paedophilia, additional resources were necessary.

He said authorities should look at overseas treatment options.

He said a public awareness campaign about paedophilia could include a local website directing paedophiles towards treatment, such as the UK’s Stop Sexual Offending site.

Dr Furst said existing services to address paedophilia in South Australia were of a high quality, but there was not enough expertise in the area.

A trial program which offers friendship and support to paedophiles is underway in Adelaide.

Mr Broomhall has rejected claims by some people that paedophilia is a sexual orientation which cannot be controlled.